


Stability

by Dividedpoet



Category: Inception (2010)
Genre: Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Jumpy time line, M/M, Sexy Time, establishing a relationship, kind-of established relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-28
Updated: 2012-11-28
Packaged: 2017-11-19 18:35:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,879
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/576399
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dividedpoet/pseuds/Dividedpoet
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cobb, who had his hand on his chin in thought, nodded. “No, it’s a good plan. I think it’ll do the trick just fine.” Arthur knew that tone. He wasn’t ‘undermining’ Arthur’s opinion, but he knew how Arthur was with Eames. All bickering, all the time. Sometimes, it was hard to look past that. So, Cobb did his best to weigh things out himself. If only he knew. Maybe it was better that he didn’t…</p>
            </blockquote>





	Stability

Arthur arched an eyebrow after Eames finished speaking. It was a good plan. Of course it was, Eames was an intelligent man, Arthur knew that. But, for some reason he couldn’t bring himself to openly sing his praises just then. 

“What do you think, princess?” he ask. Arthur rolled his eyes. Oh yeah, for some reason. 

“It might work,” Arthur said gruffly, starting to pack up the PASIV. 

Cobb, who had his hand on his chin in thought, nodded. “No, it’s a good plan. I think it’ll do the trick just fine.” Arthur knew that tone. He wasn’t ‘undermining’ Arthur’s opinion, but he knew how Arthur was with Eames. All bickering, all the time. Sometimes, it was hard to look past that. So, Cobb did his best to weigh things out himself.

If only he knew. Maybe it was better that he didn’t…  
__

Arthur shoved Eames against the wall of his hotel room, lips fastened to his collarbone as his deft fingers went to shirt buttons. “If I didn’t know any better, Arthur, I’d think you’d planned this,” Eames breath out, but there was no real weight behind it. When Arthur was flicking his tongue against Eames’ skin like that, he rarely had enough brain function to be truly sarcastic.

“I plan everything,” Arthur mumbled against that bit of bare flesh, getting the shirt open and starting to push it off the other man’s shoulders. 

When his arms were free once more, Eames slid a hand up into Arthur’s slicked back hair and used it to guide his mouth back towards wanting lips. “I know you do, darling.”

This was always such a bad idea. They were both always waiting for it to throw a wrench into things. But, neither one knew the other was too…  
__

“Arthur!” The sound echoed through the warehouse where they’d been ambushed. This wasn’t a dream, and when things were quiet again, Arthur would have a very real hole in his shoulder courtesy of that fucking firm; Manchester Unlimited. Why the fuck did they always get shot at when a job went south, huh?

Eames didn’t really process any of that, though. All he saw was Arthur – his Arthur? – on the ground with blood blooming across his crisp white shirt. But, Arthur was still moving, still obviously alive, and Eames couldn’t leave Cobb backed into the corner like that. He took out three of Manchester’s guys with clean shots to the back of the head. When a fourth grabbed him from behind, first there was the feeling of a gun muzzle pressed to his cheek and then there was a muffled pop. Blood sprayed Eames’ face and the man holding him went limp. Eames’ eyes immediately went to Arthur who was using his good arm to hold a strange gun with a silencer on it. Not his shooting arm. Eames tried not to think about how easy it would have been for Arthur to miss.

“Holy fuck, are you both okay?” Cobb had his hands on his knees, catching his breath. There’d only been seven guys. His eyes flicked to Arthur. “We need to get you to the hospital,” he panted. However, it was a day in their life and the words were more automatic than urgent.

Arthur’s face was, in fact, twisted in pain. But he let his body lay back flat on the ground as he took deep breathes of his own. His eyes were locked on Eames’ blood covered face as if he needed to remind himself that it wasn’t Eames’ blood.

Eames pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket as he fought the urge to go over and assess the damage. He’d do that later…  
__

Eames lightly ran his fingers across the bandage around Arthur’s shoulder. He’d just gotten him back to his flat from the hospital in London. Arthur said Eames could just take him back to his hotel room, but Eames would have none of that. It wasn’t fluffy, it wasn’t romantic, Eames just didn’t turn right when Arthur directed him. 

Now Arthur was laid back on his bed, having had his shirt carefully removed while Eames did just what he promised himself he’d do; assess the damage. Not just to Arthur’s shoulder, however. There were already bruises forming across the point man’s ribs from where he’d been kicked at one point after he’d been knocked to the ground. Eames knew he hadn’t fared much better, but Arthur was the one getting the attention right now.

Still, the hand of Arthur’s uninjured arm came up and feathered across the gash over Eames’ left eyebrow. Eames took hold of that arm and turned his head to kiss Arthur’s wrist. He was hovering over the more injured man, nothing but his lose slacks on. The same went for Arthur. Eames kissed his way up Arthur’s arm; from wrist to shoulder before nuzzling across his chest. When he made his way back to the bandage he felt Arthur tense.

“Shhh, precious. I won’t hurt you,” he said soothing. Arthur’s muscles relaxed a little, but only a little.

“Do you have to call me precious?” Arthur asked, but there was no sincere bite to his words. Eames didn’t say anything, but finally brought his lips to Arthur’s.

This was bad. If they kept going like this, they’d start to grow careless…  
__

“How could you not know he was in Tokyo?” Cobb yelled into Eames’ face, personal bubble completely broken. 

Eames raised an eyebrow. “Simple mistake. He’d been in Sydney the week before-“

“The week before!” Eames didn’t like it when Cobb cut him off, but even he knew to keep his mouth shut this time. “The information came through last night that he’d moved, but you weren’t where you were supposed to be to get it, were you? You’re so goddamn lucky Ariadne’s quick on her feet, or the job would have been completely blown.” When Cobb yelled, it wasn’t like a normal person yelling. His voice boomed across their new warehouse with seemingly little to no effort on Cobb’s part. “You can’t realistically impersonate a man when he’s obviously not in the country. Not without a pretty damn good excuse, at least. You didn’t even have that.” Cobb was visibly calming. “You’re better than this, Eames. This job should have been cake. What the fuck happened?”

Eames’ eyes darted to Arthur but Cobb had already backed away and didn’t see their small exchange. “I made a mistake. The job was successful. My deepest apologies, but it was done. I assure you I won’t be so careless next time.” Eames’ voice was hard. He really didn’t take being reprimanded well, but he did his best to bite his tongue.

Cobb sighed. “See it doesn’t,” he said before shaking his head and turning back toward Eames. “Whatever you’ve gotten yourself into, you need to get your head back on straight or you need to tell the team. We can’t afford for that shit to happen all the time.” The threat was silent but there; ‘And I don’t want to have to go looking for a new forger.’

This time Cobb did see Eames’ eyes dart to Arthur. This time he realized that Arthur’s own eyes hadn’t left Eames at any point during their interaction...  
__

Eames pushed into Arthur, hard and fast. Arthur’s finger scrambled for purchase on the sheets, but he wasn’t having much success. Eames had an almost bruising grip on his hips as he slammed into him repeatedly from his spot kneeling behind Arthur on the hotel bed in Brisbane.

“Fuck,” Arthur hissed out when he felt not only the burn but Eames’ cock directly hit that delicious bundle of nerve endings.

Arthur knew it was his fault. For once, he’d been the one to invite Eames over. He should have known Eames, at least where he was concerned, had little to no self-control. He’d been licking his way across Arthur’s abdomen when the information was coming through the night before.

Eames wasn’t punishing him, there was no way in hell something that felt that amazing could be punishment. But, Arthur had offered himself up to his, for lack of a better term, _partner_ in apology instead of actually apologizing. It seemed the better option.

Both men had to bite down their groans however, with Ariadne’s room on one side and Cobb’s on the other. As far as they knew, neither was aware of what had been going on…  
__

“How long?” 

Arthur’s shoulders tensed at his place at the table, working on some information for their next job. He didn’t say anything and went back to work. He could hear Cobb moving from his place leaning against the door, walking further into the room but not necessarily heading in Arthur’s direction.

“How long have you and Eames been sleeping together?” he asked.

Arthur couldn’t help the small snort. The term was so delicate; _sleeping together._ He didn’t know what he and Eames were, he didn’t know what to call them. But, he did know they were doing more than just _sleeping together_. You didn’t brush worried kisses over your fuck buddy's bruises, and you didn’t wake up with Eames' arms thrown across your waist when he was just fucking you. No, both men were the leaving type. They were pure fuck and run in situations like that. No, this was different.

Arthur didn’t say any of that, however. He just answered Cobb’s question. “Since before the Fischer job. New Guinea.”

Cobb didn’t move for a long moment. “New Guinea?” He was surprised, it was clear in his voice. Arthur wasn’t, though. Of course Cobb hadn’t noticed. He was much too caught up in Mal. Arthur didn’t blame him for it, it was just the truth. “But, you and Ariadne…” he trailed off and Arthur sighed.

“We were fighting,” he said quietly, hands stilling on his work. Yes, he was that kind of person. He used someone. Not extensively. He and Ariadne never went anywhere. But, he still did it.

Cobb ran a hand through his hair. “Okay,” was all he said, moving back toward the door. “Don’t let it get in the way again,” he added before he was shutting the door behind him.  
Arthur let out a deep breath he didn’t know he’d been holding. No, he couldn’t let it get in the way again…  
__

“You’re mine,” Arthur said, holding Eames’ face between his hands. Eames arched an eyebrow and opened his mouth to speak, but Arthur shook his head. “You’re mine and I need you to know that so we stop fucking with the jobs.” Eames’ mouth snapped shut. So much of their interaction was rushed because they thought they wouldn't get another chance. That needed to change. If they had time, if they thought they did, they might calm down.

“I don’t know if that’ll help, love,” Eames said, smirking now. Arthur gave him a small rare smile.

“It’s worth a shot.” 

Eames had heard a version of those words not too long before. This time, though, they didn’t directly cause black eyes on both himself and Arthur because of the resulting fight. Instead, he pulled Arthur’s forehead against his. “Yeah, I imagine it is. Some form of…stability couldn’t hurt.”


End file.
